Chincoteague with littles.

Kids might as well be a rubik's cube to me between ages 5-12. I have no idea what they want. Too big to throw around, too young to have adult conversations. I surrender. Maybe that's why I teach middle school and not elementary? But kids UNDER 5 and OVER 12? Hilarious. Comical genius. Three of my four nieces are under 5 that live in Maryland right now. They are so cute and funny. Now, don't get me wrong out there Mom's...I know you've got it rough...there was a moment on this trip when I was stranded at a play ground with the oldest and youngest ones sobbing simultaneously, I had no idea how to fix it. No idea how to turn it off. I had lost the will to live.

Buuuut, then there are other times that make you forget about how you were drowning in the park an hour earlier. Like when they say really funny things like, "Come on in guys, the water's great!". Or, "Sometimes at night the humans are in their houses watching tv or eating".

What on earth?

And if you're lucky enough to be an Auntie they'll fight over who gets to sit next to you or in your lap, and then at the end of a full week of that, you might hear a little voice in the back seat say, "Who are you?"

..."Well kid, I'm you Auntie Carisse. I've been with you every minute for the last week and I was here at Christmas too. No? Don't remember? No recollection? ...It's cool."

All this to say I love my nieces and nephew and I love being an Aunt. I love cuddles and piggy back rides and having my hair brushed and I love giving your kids back to you when they freak out. 

On a boat looking for ponies!



and dolphins!

I'm doing my best to dive into this photography dream that I've had for about 10 years now. FINALLY, taking classes. FINALLY opening my wallet to some equipment. FINALLY getting up the gumption to ask my friends if I can shoot them knowing full well that they probably won't turn out that great. But if I don't practice, I'll never learn right? You can't learn to make a free-throw by reading books. Gotta get out there.

I've had the pleasure of following around TWO gorgeous photographers in the last week. Shaina Sheaff and Melissa Glynn. I learned so much from observing and asking questions. It's really nerve racking, shooting people...and I can't explain why. I guess I just want so badly for them to see the same image I see with my eyeballs, and most of the time I have difficulty converting that image on to the screen.

My brother let me photograph his family on vacation. It was really good practice, but a lot of pressure. Under 5yr old's have less attention spans than gnats, and we might as well have been beating them with sticks after 15 minutes of "sit here and smile". So it was good to shoot a family and I already feel more prepared for next time. Here's what came out...



Precious!



We got to go to a pony show!



The girls weren't scared of the ponies at all! They couldn't wait to touch them.



My brother and sister in law are excellent with the girls. I can't imagine the stress of three littles without cancer, let alone WITH cancer. They've done everything possible to keep life "normal" and they've done a great job. The girls loved the ponies, loved swimming, loved vacation. K would say, "I wish we could stay a little longer". I just love that family so much. Wish there was a way I could be near enough to drop in once in a while and still get to live here in Austin. Now that I'm older, I'm realizing how much I took my oldest niece and nephew for granted when they were little. Maggie and Carson were born when I was in college. And when I got out, I don't think family and hanging out with little kids were at the front of my mind. I was planning my next adventure, hanging out downtown, and trying to get dates all the time. I remember keeping Maggie with mom when I was home on spring break, and I had sleep overs with her a few times in my apartment. I took carson out to dinner and a movie that scared him once(Rango). I remember helping mom keep him when he was a baby. I'm sure I played with them on holidays and I remember when maggie would "Run like the wind" in her bee costume. But somewhere in there, they just grew up! And now Maggie is about to be in MIDDLE SCHOOL. My lands. On the one hand its like, AWESOME, I KNOW middle schoolers. And on the other hand its like, NOOOOOOOOOOOO where did that little girl go? Getting older makes me a lot more emotional, a lot more sentimental, and especially with all that's happened in the last year, I'm feeling more than ever the need to really love on my family while I've been given the opportunity to do so.

HTB and the KS, MO, NE roadtrip

The summer tradition of adding on an unplanned trip did not stop in 2013. I left Terry at the Myrtle Beach airport with tears in my eyes because I had no idea when I would get to see him again, and I knew he already had plans for his July and August time off. So, you can imagine my glee when he called me the next day in L.A., and asked me to fly to Kansas for his Grandma's 100th birthday party. A week surrounded by older people and Terry? Yes please :)

So after a flight delay and a second meltdown on my part, I spent 15hours in the Chicago airport waiting for my flight to Wichita, KS. Screw you windy city. Screw you. I got to meet his sweet parents, have dinner, and look for snakes. His Mom is afraid of snakes too, which somehow calms me down and makes me braver than normal.

The next day we drove to Table Rock Lake in MO to spend the 4th of July with Terry's friends he met in Africa. They were so fun! In related news, I've decided that a lake house is my dream house. When we got there we rode jetskis to dinner, set fireworks off of the doc, and went night swimming!

This is my new best friend Chester. I love his mustache a whole lot.

July 4th, 2013 goes down in history as the best 4th of July I've ever had. Now, I've had some pretty fun 4th of July's, and even seen better firework displays, but that day was wonderful from start to finish.

In the morning we went wakeboarding, rode some jet ski's to lunch, got caught in the rain together, jumped off a small cliff, switched jetskis in which I discovered Terry had been riding on a cloud all day whilst I was rough riding a water bronco, watched fireworks from a boat surrounded by the lights of all other boats, saw asian lanterns lift off, and finished with a little dancing in the living room! I loved that day and hope I can remember it forever.

Terry doesn't like dogs the way I do. So when I finished taking this picture he says, "This is your fantasy isn't it...?" Yep :) Sue and her fiance and their dog Sasha were so warm and welcoming.

We then went to Red Cloud, NE for Grandma's 100th birthday party! Let me tell you something, this lady is still sharp. She's a far better SkipBo player than I'll ever be, and gets around up and down steps with a walker. Amazing.

After church and lunch we left Nebraska. As soon as we rounded the corner Terry asked me to be his girlfriend. OF COURSE ARE YOU KIDDING. I've never met anyone like this guy, someone I have so much in common with and yet still challenges me regularly. In February, I was first drawn to his voice one dark night at the top of a high rise building under construction on a picnic with mutual friends. The next morning he showed up at church (he's a Christian?? that's like finding a unicorn these days) and I noticed he had brown eyes...my kryptonite. At lunch we discovered we had been to Costa Rica, Lao, Haiti, Alaska, Hawaii, and lived in Australia around similar times. INTERESTING. A few days later he helped me make cupcakes for Ginny's birthday party and I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed that hard. Doubled over. Crying laughing. A few days after that he kissed me on the dance floor at the Whitehorse, WHILE I HAD BRACES, and the rest is history. We've kept in touch and got to know each other better ever since.

I like him.

When I say that, I mean I like who he is. I like the person he is. I like learning about him. I like hearing his stories. I like listening to his voice. I like that he loves and serves God most of all. I like the freckles in his brown eyes and his big arms. I like how easy it is to spend time with him. I like that he marches to the beat of his own drum and doesn't apologise for it. I like his integrity, and his honesty allows me to trust him. I like that he challenges me without pressuring me. I like that my friends and my parents like him. I like that he travels. I like that he knows his Bible. I like that he's adventurous. I like that he's athletic. I like his work ethic. I like that he's responsible. I like that he's fluent in Spanish. I like how smart he is, that he researches and strategizes, and reads books. I like how funny and witty he is. I like that he knows lyrics to rap songs. I like how thoughtful he is, that he notices other's feelings. I like that he's polite and sweet to everyone. I like that he's affectionate. I like that he's easy going, spontaneous, and positive.

I'm choosing not to waste time worrying that things may be a little too good to be true and there has just got to be something about to hit the fan. Because I'm enjoying this ride. I'm enjoying and soaking up all of my moments with him. I'm enjoying our adventures together, and that's what I know.

We left Nebraska and stayed the night in Manhattan, KS with Shaster and Nick. I miss her. Australia to this day is still such a part of my daily life, which means Shasta is too.

Blindfold Mom! Not sure if you want to see this, but this is from the hitchrace about halfway down Rainbow Falls. I'm kissing a boy AND wearing a bikini...which can only mean one thing...I'm a hussy.

And now that I've finished this blog, I just realized that chronologically I have left out the entire week with my brothers family in June! No hard feelings. More to come. Just missing Terry today :)

L.A.

I'm not quite sure if this is my 7th or 8th time to visit Jane and Toby in L.A. but it's always a pleasure. FOUR of those times have been with Alayna DewLittle pictured below. I love her. We have so much fun together outside!







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Here's my cutie pie Dunkaroo! He's not even 2 years old yet so when he says Carisse it kind of sounds like "Star Fish". So now he calls me Auntie Star Fish and I love it.








Laying out in Hermosa Beach. No June gloom this time!!!

Jane is the best cook I know. I'm not exaggerating here. She makes meals like this every night after a long day at work and a toddler. She inspires me. She makes me want to feed myself and others better. When I get back I'm going to see if I can mimic her...now all I need is my Pioneer Woman kitchen!

I went and spent one night with Kellie in Venice Beach. We grew up together. She moved to Texas when we were in 3rd grade. She was the coolest most popular girl in our grade...and that lasted all the way through high school graduation. We have always been so different. I was always super conservative and nerdy and she went out of her way to be nice to me and invite me to things. I've always loved her for being so sweet to me, and it was fun to have another slumber party at her Nana's :)

Our first time laying out at Redondo beach....pretty and all...but we walked to Hermosa Beach everytime after this. NOTHING beats Hermosa Beach in the south bay in my opinion. NOTHING.

This is chicken John. He rides his bike around and says, "Hey Chickeeeeen" to all the ladies and asks them to take him swimming. A few years ago he asked me to take him swimming and I said okay! So he stripped down and held my hand and we went in the ocean. We only went about waist deep...thank goodness because it was arctic waters and I was really nervous the current would knock him over. But it didn't and we made it and dried out on the sand together. I don't know where he sleeps at night or what he eats for lunch, but I hope to find those things out the next time I come to Hermosa, and thank him for making a great memory with me.

So my new phone has a panorama option!!!

Sometimes Duncan swordfights with rhubarb, because he's both Toby AND Jane's kid.







Ladies night out!

This is how I woke up Monday morning :)

Locals Shmocals.

How many jumping pictures can I acquire in a lifetime?

The End.

Myrtle Beach

Again, out of order. Blogger. Grrr.

Here we are at the END of our stay in Myrtle Beach at Pirates Voyage. It's like Medieval Times but way better. Good food. Pirates dancing, diving, and singing. Sea Lions. Mermaid aerial acrobats. Dogs. Pyrotechnics. FUN.

Myrtle Beach was the magical land of everything went right. The 3 star hotel we got less expensive off hotwire had an ocean view, and came with a free day at a water park and free mini golf! I haven't been to a water park since I was 15, and I forgot how much I loved them a thousand times more than roller coaster parks. So after riding everything possible in a few hours and Wild Water and Wheels, Terry told me to close my eyes and we pulled up to a roller skating rink! He had bought socks!!

My reasons for that level of excitement are two fold. #1 I love surprises. #2 I'm mildly obsessed with the idea of roller derby. I own Whip It.  I've researched bootcamps and rec leagues of roller derby in Austin. I had a birthday party complete with a green skirt and unicorn roller skates when I was a kid. I went to a teacher training this year where I sat next two an actual ex-roller derby girl and I pounded her with questions for seven hours straight.
So roller skating was a good idea :)




I mean, they were from Food Lion...

Terry at Pirates Voyage. He's such a good sport with all of my pictures.

TURTLE TURTLE! Terry isn't afraid of animals and kind of has a way with them. He said turtles like their necks scratched and showed me how to do it. It was my favorite part of that day :)

More Pirates Voyage...

Our ocean view balcony with our Myrtle Beach hitch sign that we used for 18 minutes.

Enter: "Herping". I'm not a snake kind of girl. I'm not a cat kind of girl. I'm pretty much solely a puppy kind of girl. Always have been. Terry is a snake guy. Maybe I would think that was crazy if he didn't know so much about them. But if you look at my roster, I've always been attracted to smart guys. And since this snake thing is to the level that he knows Latin names, researched them in the Amazon, and can even in my ear correct the speaker lady at the Alligator Adventure...well it's just neat that he knows so much.




At Alligator Adventure scratching turtles.

Myrtle Beach ocean view room!

2nd place in the Girls ages sixteen and up race.

My parents live one hour from where the hitch race begins. Terry was dying to meet Sadie, as shown in the picture below.